RCS Miami: How Rivals camp, other events will impact rankings

This past weekend featured major events around the country. The Rivals Camp Series event in South Florida drew some of the best prospects in the nation, while other players made their way to different events. Rivals.com analysts take a look at the important rankings-related questions and topics from South Florida and other events from last weekend after taking in the action firsthand.

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RCS MIAMI: Prospects now on the radar | Five programs that should be pleased | Recruiting Rumor Mill | The Friedman awards | MVP awards | Players predict commitment decisions | Combine showcase

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CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

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RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info for 2022 series

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Top running back talent was on display on Sunday at the camp. Led by Stacy Gage, it’ll be interesting to see how the top back in the 2024 class can do the rest of the offseason and what he looks like this fall. His overall speed will be under the microscope leading up to the next rankings update.

Running back MVP Javin Simpkins, currently a three-star, was outstanding. He proved really hard to handle in the open field and did a nice job catching the ball on a variety of routes. Three-star Gemari Sands and Rivals250 2024 running backs Davion Gause and Chauncey Bowens all really impressed throughout the day.

The camp setting is not conducive to some of their styles, but it was clear that these running banks were a cut above the rest. Seeing each of these backs perform in the same environment will be a big help when updating the rankings later this offseason.

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Even though running back was the pound-for-pound strongest position on Sunday the rest of the camp was absolutely loaded. On the defensive line 2024 Rivals250 defensive end Dylan Stephenson won the MVP award and looks like he has superstar potential. He has the build and skill set to justify being one of the most heavily recruited defensive line prospects in his class. Four-star 2023 defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc did well during 1-on-1s, but watching him during drills and the rest of the camp was equally important. He has a really unique frame and athletic profile that can make him an incredibly versatile defensive lineman. LeBlanc is still technically very raw, but he certainly impressed throughout the day. His performance should positively impact his ranking.

Another defensive lineman to keep an eye on is Dinellson Exume. The 2024 Rivals250 prospect is also uniquely physically gifted. His long frame and wiry strength should serve him well down the line. He took most of his 1-on-1 reps as an interior defensive lineman, but he could easily line up on the edge. He has the coordination and quickness to be able to do so.

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Four-star offensive lineman Payton Kirkland stole the show for his position group. The massive offensive tackle did a fantastic job quickly getting out of his stance and making sure the defensive lineman didn’t get by him. Once he got his hands on the defensive lineman the rep was pretty much over, but there was at least one time when he had a little bit of trouble redirecting back inside to chase after a defensive lineman. Overall, his performance will reflect positively in his ranking in the next update.

One player that really helped his stock on Sunday was 2024 Rivals250 offensive lineman Eddie Pierre-Louis. The big, barrel-chested interior offensive lineman throws defensive linemen around and has plenty of quickness to go with that strength. Another interior lineman, three-star Deandre Duffus, was also pretty impressive on Sunday.

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Sunday’s receivers were great, and it’s a shame there was only one MVP award to go around. Rivals250 James Madison, a 2024 prospect, is a supremely gifted receiver for his age, and he won the MVP award by a slim margin. There were other highly rated receivers on the field, but players like currently unrated Makhail Wood and Winston Watkins, a 2025 prospect, won the most big matchups on Sunday. Wood is a slippery receiver that did a great job getting open off the line of scrimmage, and he has plenty of speed to get down the field. He did very well in catch-and-run situations as well. It’s hard to believe Watkins is a 2025 prospect, but the Texas A&M commit beats those lofty expectations with his play on the field.

There’s a lot of suddenness to the way he runs his routes and it makes it very difficult for defensive backs that try to anticipate throws. He did very well in 1-on-1s, a trend that should continue over the rest of his high school career.

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In a very talented field of defensive backs, the two names that rose to the top were Rivals250 prospects Fred Gaskin and Brayshon Williams. Both 2024 defensive backs were outstanding from the very beginning of the camp until the end. Unfortunately, the end of the camp came a bit too soon for Gaskin as he rolled his ankle about a third of the way through the 1-on-1 session. Up to that point though, Gaskin was putting on an MVP-type performance. He did a great job playing physically with receivers at the line of scrimmage but also made sure they weren’t running free in the secondary when he was playing off coverage. Gaskin does a great job changing directions quickly and making plays on the ball. His sense of timing was very impressive and was easy to see when he was making plays like a diving interception. Williams was very solid throughout the day and ended up winning the MVP award. He excels at playing off coverage from safety depth and breaking on passes thrown in front of him. He covered a ton of ground in the secondary and that range will really help him see the field quickly at the next level.

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There are a lot of impressive up-and-coming defensive linemen in Florida, and a handful of them were on the field Sunday. Dylan Stephenson and Dinellson Exume are two names people are going to hear a lot over the next few years. Make sure to also familiarize yourself with 2024 Rivals250 defensive end Sincere Edwards. The rush end won’t blow scouts away with his physical measurables but he is a stout defensive end and brings a lot of quickness and pass rushing expertise to the field. Listed as a linebacker, Booker Pickett played defensive end on Sunday. He is very lean, but he surprised some offensive linemen with his strength. Pickett presented some real problems for offensive lineman as he used his quickness and balance to get around the edge. Watch out for him as he begins to physically mature. Freshman Armondo Blount almost stole the show. The future big-name 2025 prospect already has an impressive offer sheet and it was easy to see why once 1-on-1s started. He plays much stronger than his grade and did a great job going to his counter move when needed. It was really surprising to see how advanced his technique was for just a freshman. Remember his name for down the road. - Contributed by Adam Friedman, National Recruiting Analyst/Rankings Director

Four of the top five wide receivers played in Pylon Los Angeles last weekend, and now there is a whole lot more to consider when it comes to that position, which is showing to not only be very good at the top end but also has more depth than we first expected.

The first question that needs to be answered is: Who's the No. 1 receiver in this class? In my estimation, there are three players under consideration, with Brandon Inniss leading the way right now, and then Shelton Sampson and Carnell Tate as the other five-stars.

Inniss has phenomenal hands, and while he might not have elite speed he can get open against anybody. Tate was also at Pylon and was my most impressive performer as he has size to play outside, impressive speed and he can make highlight-reel plays look so easy. Sampson was not at the event, but Zachariah Branch was, and he's in the discussion as well.

Branch is insanely fast and dynamic, more explosive than any receiver in the class, a complete deep threat who puts pressure on cornerbacks at every rep. He is undersized, though, and that should be a factor considered. The other very impressive receiver last weekend was Hykeem Williams, who looks like an Adonis, can run and has great hands as well. - Contributed by Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director

The country’s No. 2-ranked player, Allen (Texas) five-star defensive lineman David Hicks Jr., showed his athleticism and finesse moves on Sunday as he continues his run as the state’s top player. Matched up against top talent in the region, Hicks used his upper-body strength to push back and use his speed to get around shifty linemen.

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Around the camp, Harker Heights (Texas) four-star offensive lineman Jaydon Chatman and Tyler (Texas) Legacy four-star defensive lineman Jordan Renaud had strong showings that have put them in the conversation for a spring rankings boost. Chatman can line up inside at guard or outside at tackle and compete with stylistically different pass rushers with the same ability as he possesses some of the cleanest footwork of any lineman in the class. Renaud specializes in lining up at defensive tackle and bullies his way into the pocket with his strong upper half. If he’s able to have a consistent offseason, he could sneak his way into the Rivals top 50.

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In looking at underclassmen prospects, Lake Cormorant (Miss.) four-star defensive end Kamarion Franklin and Duncanville (Texas) 2025 wide receiver Dakorien Moore were standouts. Freshman quarterback Kelden Ryan from Keller (Texas) Central was as physically impressive as any 2025 prospect in attendance and was able to have a strong showing despite a brutally windy afternoon. - Contributed by Nick Harris, National Recruiting Analyst